Ine Helvik

I won both my matches 7-3 yesterday. I was down 1-3 in the first match but was able to find my game and pulled 6 in  row.  The second match i kept it up with only a few mistakes. We are playing with centennial balls, pro cup cueball and fast rails so it took a few games before I got control of the table.

Today I play against my club mate Jason Hansen for a spot in the last 32 at 1030.

Update:
Today I lost 3-7 and 4-7. Finished 33rd.

Oh well. Time to actually see Tromsø;)

Follow the tournament here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0AqMnzaZ2odqRdF9tYllKbDVRQW1PZDlmSXF3VHd4ZXc&usp=drive_web#gid=3

Ine:)

On my way to Tromsø to play the Norwegian championship in 8-ball, open class. I start at 1800 playing Torbjørn Magnus Isaksen from Reisa BK. We are three players representing Svithun, Jason Hansen and Olav Skrudland are also playing.

I have left my computer at home, but I will try to update. You can find the flowchart with scores and matches here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0AqMnzaZ2odqRdF9tYllKbDVRQW1PZDlmSXF3VHd4ZXc&usp=drive_web#gid=3

Our first round is the 64 chart.

Wish you all a good pool weekend:)

Ine

A new year means new opportunities and adventures and I can not wait until it starts:) Already this last week I see the contours of the year to come: I got a spot in The Amway Cup in February. I am playing the Norwegian Championships (open) in January and if everything goes to plan I will go to Portugal in March to play the Women’s Euro tour (hopefully the first out of 6 events). It will be an exciting year!.

Also I have to take a minute to thank my sponsors and friends at OB cues, Fury Cues (Fury Cues), Alison Chang, all my fellow poolplayers that I travel with around the world, my family, my shop, my new friend Ivan, Kozoom, the federations that makes this a sport (EPBF, WPA, NB) and off course all you guys reading this and all others that enables me to do what I love:)

I wish you all a VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!!

Ine:)

… And I would do it again, that’s the crazy part:)

Friday I left for the last Eurotour of the year in Treviso, Italy. I was told on thursday that my flight was cancelled due to a storm both in my town and in Amsterdam, but KLM rebooked to a later flight. When I arrived in the airport it was a tendency to chaos, almost all flights that were not cancelled were delayed. My flight was expected to be 30 minutes late, no problem. I could not believe that everything seemed to go so smoothly regarding my departure, looking at all the frustrated people around me. We went into the plane, the engine started and the captain told the cabin crew to prepare. Then, nothing for 10 minutes. This is when I new I was in trouble… The engine was shut off and the captain kindly announced that it would be at least 45 minutes until take-off… So, we all sat in the full plane for another 45 minutes, waiting for it to move. Finally the wait was over and we took off, into the turbulence, kind of like a free roller-coaster. I actually grabbed the seat in front of me at some point, the drop was really not comfortable. After a while the captain started speaking again ” All passengers with connection to……Venice……please contact the ground staff” Freely translated: You will not make your flight, go stand in line. And so I did. First to see how my flight would be changed, then to get a hotel, then to get on the bus, then to check in to the hotel… This took about 2,5 hours. Standing all the way, even on the bus.

Next morning I got up early, the flight was on time, the rental car was trouble free and I arrived in Treviso 13:10, my first match at 14:00. No need to say that my first couple of games looked kind of strange, but I pulled myself together and won two in a row (6-2 Angela Vergata (ITA) and 6-2 Ann-Sofie Löfgren (SWE)) to be in the last 16, playing again sunday at 09:00.

Sunday at 09:00 I played against Kristina Zlateva (BUL) and I just could not pull it together and also had some bad rolls. I lost 3-6 and ended on 9th place. Not good, but not bad either. All in all I think I did a good job. Today (monday) I feel like I have been travelling non stop for several days, not really feeling I have played a tournament. Strange feelingl.

Anyway, I guess this proves how addicted to pool I really am. If someone told me I had to do this every time I went for a tournament, I would not be happy about it, but I would do it in a wink. The thrill of the tournament is just to big.

I am now down to 7th place on the European ranking and I cross my fingers that I will get a spot for Amway Cup. That means I will knowingly prepare for another 18 hour trip and I am really hoping I will get it! When I try to be rational about this it sounds crazy:) No wonder my husband looks at me funny some times:)

This was my last trip this year, I am now going to prepare for a Christmas break.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Ine:)

Johannes Tørresdal from Tre Måker and I

Yesterday Tre Måker in Haugesund arranged the last ranking tournament in Division 1 for the year.  I have missed two tournaments this year due to travels and since we have 8 of 9 tournaments counting in the rankings I had to do well to stay on top of the ranking. After a long day of 10-ball I won and that means I am now officially back in the Elite division in Norway in the mixed class. I have won 5 out of 7 tournaments with the 5 wins back to back.  This has been a good year and I am now looking forward to new challenges playing with the best in Norway next year. 

No it is time to prepare for the last Eurotour of the year, Mosconi Cup and the men’s Eurotour in Treviso will be good to watch to get in the right frame of mind:)

Have a great week!

Ine:)